Ageratina adenophora on Spore of Effects Germination and Gametophyte Development of palmatopedata Neocheiropteris M. Zhang and K. H. Liu J. leg ore Res a n Y- 8- ^ ) ^.^^^^^^^^j^^^ Cheng X. Zhang G. F. Yunnan Kunming. Yunnan, China University, 650091, M. Fang* Y. College of Forest Resources and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China Jiangsu, Zhang H. J. China Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, Jiangsu, At present, there are about 170 species of terrestrial invasive plants in China. Ageratina adenophora Sprengel (Synonym: Eupatorium adenophora) (Asteraceae] Mexico, a very successful invasive species (Sang et ah, 2010). native to vvrhere is It is Yunnan it is conmion (Cronk and Fuller, 1995). It first invaded Province in China in the 1940s. Since then has intensively colonized southwest China, reduced it community (Wang and agricultural production strongly altered plant structures may and under and various conditions et al, 2011). survives proliferates It ZHANG ET INHIBITION OF AGERATINA ADENOPHORA AL.: TO NEOCHEIROPTERIS adversely affect the surrounding vegetation through allelopathic China effects in (He and Song Yu Liu, 1990; Yang et al., 2000; et al, 2004; et al., 2006; Yang et al, 2008). Most previous studies of Ageratina adenophora (Ageratina) have focused on its deleterious on spermatophytes (Wan effects et al, 2010). excretes allelochem- It which icals into the soil, hinder the germination and seedling growth of potential competitors (Sang However, et al, 2010). studies of the adenophora effects of /I. on invasion ferns (including gametophytes and sporophytes) have received comparatively attention (Zhang Zhang little et al, 2007; et al, 2008a, 2008b). Yunnan one is of the richest regions in species diversity in China (Wang and Wang, with documented 2006), 762 (Kunming fern species Institute of Botany, Academy Chinese Our of Sciences, showed 2006). field observations some that ferns failed to establish in pure patches of Ageratina adenophora. Previous by Zhang studies etal (2007, 2008a, 2008b) provide strong evidence in support of the inhibitory effects of A. adenophora on three fern species, Macrothelypteris torresiana (Gaud.) Ching, and Pteris finotii Christ Cibotium harometz Sm. (L.) J. Those showed studies that leachates of A. adenophora all inhibited spore germination and growth of the first rhizoid of the three fern species, and inhibitory increased with effects increasing leachate concentrations. Neocheiropteris palmatopedata (Baker) H. Christ (Polypodiaceae) endemic is China and to is distributed in Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou. well known It is ornamental and for medicinal value its (Lin, 2000; Ding, 1982). Furthermore, in China, it is rare in the wild (Yu, 1999). Hence, understanding the biology of N. palmatopedata is of great importance for conservation purposes. The distribution of Neocheiropteris palmatopedata overlaps with that of Ageratina adenophora Yunnan. in Allelopathic more activity readily observed is in the sensitive stage of plant growth and (Petersen Fairbrothers, 1980). In ferns, the activity is easily detected in stages such as spore germination and gametophyte development and (Petersen Fairbrothers, Hence, study had two main 1980). this objectives: (i) to determine the potential effects of A. adenophora on spore germination and gametophyte development of N. palmatopedata; and to (ii) examine the allelopathic potential of stems and roots, leaves of ^. adenophora. Plant Leachates The effects of Ageratina adenophora on leachates Neocheiropteris palmatopedata were evaluated ways in three in this study: 1) rate of rhizoid elongation, rate and 2) percentage of spore germination, and gametophyte morphology. Whole 3) fresh plants of A. adenophora were from collected Nanjing The Forestry University. root, stem and were made leaf leachates according to Zhang et al (2008a) and were by them ® PVDF sterilized passing through Duropore membrane ^m, (0.45 Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork, For freland). the determination of rhizoid elongation, the were sterile leachates diluted with sterile double-distilled water to give six 50% 40 and For 0, 20, 30, leachate). trials of spore germination VOLUME NUMBER AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL: 102 3 (2012) medium and gametophyte growth, the leachates were diluted with B5 basal sterile 2% (Gamborg et al, 1968] containing 0.7% agar and sugar to give these six con- 2% medium 0.7% and was centrations. In all the trials, B5 basal containing agar sugar mL cm used as a control. All media were added at 6 per Petri dish (3.4 diameter). Spore Germination and Gametophyte Growth Collection, Incubation, palmatopedata were from 15-20 Spores of Neocheiropteris collected fertile fronds with mature but closed sporangia from 15 individuals on December 2010 in Yunnan University. The collected fronds were immediately sent to Nanjing. The and room fronds were unfolded, placed in clean paper bags air dried at mm mesh temperature. Spores were collected and cleared by a with pores 0.088 Yam week in diameter (Zhejiang Shangyu and Sieve Factory, Shangyu, China] one mg X made later. About 2 of spores was packed into a 1 1 cm^ bag of clean filter were immersed water and washed paper. Thereafter, the spores into distilled live 5% sodium times in sterile water after surface-sterilizing in hypochlorite for 4 min. The spore suspension was prepared by adding sterile double-distilled water to the sterilized spores. Spores were inoculated evenly in each Petri dish at a density of and 400 spores/cm^ 30 spores/cm^ for the determination of rhizoid elongation for the of spore germination and gametophyte development. After inoculation, trials all cm Petri dishes were put into larger Petri dishes (12 diameter) to avoid desiccation and pollution. The larger Pefri dishes were placed in the dark at 25 =C for 24 h and m"^ 1X10^ mol then transferred to fluorescent light (photon flux density s~^) at |i C 25 at 12 h light photoperiod. Five visual fields were observed in each of the Petri x dishes, through a gridding ocular a magnification of 20 1.5 in a microscope at XTS Tech (No. 20130, Beijing Instrument Co., Ltd., Beijing, China). Germination time was calculated as the time elapsed from sowing to the when were observance of the germinated spore signs of a rhizoid first (i.e., first evident). For each dish, fourteen days after the first observed germination, about 400 spores were selected randomly for the calculation of the germination percentage and also for gametophyte development observation. Thereafter, the was no was germination percentage calculated every 6 days until further increase detected. Data for spore germination and gametophyte assays is presented as the mean value of the three Petri dishes of each treatment. growing weeks For the determination of rhizoid elongation, after for 2 in medium without leachate, six healthy gametophytes with uniform rhizoids in each dish were selected further observation. Afterwards, Petri for all One week gametophytes were treated with various leachates. later, length of was micrometer rhizoid recorded using a crossed ocular in a dissecting XTS Tech microscope (No. 20130, Beijing Instrument Co., Ltd., Beijing, China). Statistics The of Ageratina adenophora leachates on spore germination and effects gametophyte development Neocheiropteris palmatopedata were analyzed by of ANOVA SPSS USA). using the 10.0 package (SPSS, Chicago, IL, 0 10 20 30 40 50 Leachate concentration (%) Fig. 1. (iermination time ot the spores of Neocheiropteris palmatopedata in the control and with stem and treated root, leaf leachates of Ageratina adenophora after inoculation. Different < letters indicate significantly different (P 0.05). Results Spore Germination Spores of Neocheiropteris palmatopedata germinated 12 days after inoculation in and continued the control until 35 days. Root, stem and leaf leachates of Ageratina adenophora delayed spore germination. The time needed for spore germination among differed treatments. Spores treated with stem leachates germinated faster than and those treated with root leaf leachates The (Fig. inhibition of stem and 1). root, leaf adenophora leachates of A. to spore germination percentage of N. palmatopedata < increased with increasing concentrations [P As 0.05) time went (Fig. 2). by, the germination percentages of N. palmatopedata with treated the stem and root, leaf adenophora went up and < leachates of A. then leveled (P off 0.05) (Fig. 2). Growth Rhizoid and The stem leaf leachates of Ageratina adenophora root, inhibited the growth of Neocheiropteris palmatopedata and rhizoid the inhibitory effect with increased increasing generally leachate concentrations. Root leachates most potent followed by < were the inhibitor, the leaf leachates [P 0.05) (Fig. 3). Development Gametophyte morphology Gametophyte of Neocheiropteris palmatopedata in the control was agreement with the previous research carried out by Deng in et al. (2009). ZHANG ET AL.: INHIBITION OF AGERATINA ADENOPHORA TO NEOCHEIROPTERIS — ——Stem ^Leaf ——Root The gametophytes produced from the spores with treated the leachates of Ageratina adenophora show did not morphological differences from the Discussion Om- results indicated that spore germination of Neocheiropteris palmatopedata was when lower with treated the stem and root, leaf leachates of Ageratina adenophora compared as to the control. Spore germination of N. palmatopedata is essential for sexual reproduction. its germination If this inhibition also occurs in where nature, spores of N. palmatopedata overlap with plants of A. adenophora, these leachates could potentially drastically decrease the abundance of this plant in the community. The delay in germination of N. palmatopedata spores could severely affect the competition ability of this fern species for resources. All leachates of Ageratina adenophora inhibited rhizoid growth of Neocheir- opteris palmatopedata. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects increased with the increasing leachate concentrations. generally believed It is that the rhizoids of gametophytes fern hinction as organs of uptake and absorption. Inhibition of N. palmatopedata rhizoid growth by the stem and root, leaf leachates could reduce the ability of gametophytes absorb water and which to nutrients, could affect the production and growth potential of the future sporophyte and function in the its community. Racusen demonstrated (2002) that rhizoids were the primary of site uptake monovalent for cations in the gametophytes of Onoclea sensibilis L. Kamachi showed et al. (2005) that Athyrium gametophytes had the ability to VOLUME NUMBER AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL: 102 3 (2012) we accumulate lead in the rhizoids. Therefore, hypothesize that the active component(s) in the root of A. adenophora entered and accumulated in the rhizoids of N. palmatopedata, which inhibited the rhizoid elongation of N. palmatopedata. palmatopedata gametophytes produced from the spores of N. In this study, the show adenophora morphological treated with the leachates of A. did not differences when compared with the control. However, in a study of Macro- young gametophytes with various thelypteris torresiana, the rhizoids of the treated and and adenophora were curved, or swollen the curving root leachates of erect, v4. adenophora swollen rhizoids increased with the increasing concentrations of A. (Zhang et al, 2008a). The gametophytes from the spores oi Pteris finotii treated with adenophora morphological higher concentrations of root leachates of A. suffered changes (Zhang This difference might be attributed to differences in et al, 2007). same sensitivity to the allelochemicals. on gametophyte development In our experiments, greater inhibitory effects adenophora, palmatopedata occurred with the root leachates of A. of N. was with as compared to stem and leaf leachates. This result consistent previous studies, which showed that the root leachates resulted in greater Zhang inhibition than the stem and leaf leachates (Zhang et al., 2007; et al, He 2008a; Tripathi 1981). However, and Liu (1990) observed that the et al., aqueous leaf extracts of A. adenophora were the most allelopathic to the seed aqueous germination of four plants. Tripathi et al. (1981) also reported that the on adenophora caused other extracts of different parts of A. different effects same plants. This difference might due to the differences in the sensitivity to allelochemicals, concentration of the allelochemicals, or variations in al- among The adenophora were leachates of A. lelochemicals the tissues. phenolic compounds (Yang al, 2006), which might act as the identified as et needed allelopathic substances (Kim et al, 2005). Further investigation is to understand the chemistry of the allelopathic activity. better management adenophora China includes ecological Sustainable of A. in and adenophora by competitive replacement of A. biological control restoration (Wan concern adenophora Future will the agents against A. et 2010). efforts al., adenophora well effective control of A. as as its utilization. This work was supported by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), Jiangsu Planned Projects for Postdoctoral Research Funds (1001078C) and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation funded project (20100481152). Literature Cited Chapman Cronk, Q. C. B. and L. Fuller. 1995. Plant invaders: the threat to natural ecosystems. J. and London, UK. Hall, Deng, Y. N., X. Cheng, Y. Jiao and G. Chen. 2009. The gametophyte development and endangerment J. mechanism Neocheiropteris palmatopedate (Polypodiaceae, Fern). Acta Bot. Yunnanica. of